This is the recently rebuilt Cathedral of
Christ the Savior. When Yuri Luzhkov, Mayor of Moscow, proposed rebuilding
the Cathedral at an estimated cost of US$100 million, the city freaked.
(By comparison, the front half of the FSU university center cost US$110
million.) So, Luzhkov sought out private donors... like the good wholesome
family men who are the fine purveyors of the town casinos. When Luzhkov
first came around asking for donations, he met with a bit of apathy, so
he did his duty to inform the casino owners of several new city ordinances
in the works that would drastically limit the number of casinos in Moscow.
Naturally, the families of Moscow are not to be trifled with, and
everyone thought Luzhkov was bluffing... until a few "rogue" SWAT
teams, "acting on their own", paid a few casinos a very unfriendly
visit. In a matter of weeks, Luzhkov had all the donations he needed and
the cathedral was rebuilt. Next>